Simply check out a bike and go for a spin. Return the bike to any station along the trail.

With the launch of Pacers Bikeshare, Indianapolis joins other major cities, such as New York, Chicago, Denver, Boston and Washington, D.C., which have bikeshare programs.

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Indianapolis Cultural Trail Inc. announced today a new bikeshare program called Pacers Bikeshare. It will feature 25 stations and 250 bikes.(Photo: Dana Benbow / The Star)

The Pacers name? That's due to an undisclosed financial contribution from the Simon family, who owns the Indiana Pacers. Indy's bikeshare is the first in the nation to be connected to a professional sports team, said Karen Haley, executive director of the Cultural Trail.

The Herbert Simon Family Foundation funded the startup costs and will fund the ongoing operations. Another $1 million was given by the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The Simons want to give back "to a city we feel has given us so much," said Rachel Simon, a member of the foundation.

Pacers Bikeshare is a great example of green transportation and healthy living and "it will cultivate a higher level of environmental awareness in the community," she said.